Joel Leyden : Israel Ad, PR Agencies Use Mossad Pride To Promote Supermarkets

Israel Ad, PR Agencies Use Mossad Pride To Promote Supermarkets

Islamic terrorists will now have to think twice
every time they see a baseball hat and sunglasses.

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem ---- March 11, 2010 …. . You never say the word. At least, before Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed in Dubai by an assassination team, widely believed to be the Mossad, one would never even mutter the word Mossad.

One learns this basic perspective living in Israel, serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) or the Israel police. You learn that even the Mossad never even says the word Mossad, except for that one time when new recruits are welcomed to Mossad headquarters and their new commander states: "Welcome to the Institute. You are the best of the best. Very few make it here. And in being here, at the Mossad, you will never hear nor mutter that word again."

One would refer to the Mossad as either "Misrad Bitachon" meaning the Israel Ministry of Defense or "Misrad Rosh Menshlach" - the Israel Prime Minister's Office, the only office that the Mossad answers to.

But now, with one Hamas military commander who also was the founder of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, killed and an abundance of CCTV tape circulating about YouTube provided by the Dubai police as if it was an out take from the TV shows U.N.C.L.E., The Avengers, or perhaps as a trailer from Avatar, the word Mossad is popping up everywhere. In fact, as a journalist, one is not even authorized to use the word Mossad without getting clearance from the Israel Government Censors Office. Journalists in Israel usually get around this by quoting foreign news sources.

Only recently has the Mossad come out of the closet. It truly began with the launch of their Website in May 2004 and publicly naming the director of the Mossad. Today, one will find a dozen groups on Facebook in support of the Mossad and its legendary activities.

Now we have the Inspector Clouseau of the Dubai Police Department dripping out bits of information and footage almost on a daily basis. His calculated efforts to embarrass Israel through keeping the assassination in the public light have only had a reverse effect. Yes, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of a few countries whose passports were used or forged yelled and screamed for a couple of days. Two nations even sent their police to Tel Aviv to investigate. One can be sure that their Ministries of Defense objected, just wanting to bury this successful episode of eliminating a terrorist, one who has openly declared war on all global democracies.

But beyond a few barks and not so confident growls by the UK and Australia, that were primary staged to placate their Islamic friends, the operation to kill a Hamas leader in Dubai has proven to be a double victory for Israel.

One, it reassures the Israel public that the Mossad, if it was the Mossad, is still ranked higher than Google. Two, it reminds every Islamic terrorist that there is no place in the world for them to hide, to eat or to even urinate without Israel intelligence knowing about it.

What the Dubai police have achieved in working diligently and attempting to coordinate an effective investigation has only served Israel. For as every day that passes that Dubai mentions the words Mossad or Israel, it reminds those who believe in Islamic Jihad to think twice.

Most Arabs today perceive the acts of the Mossad as nothing less than "miracles".

The once forbidden word and activities of the Mossad have now prompted a proud, public outcry in Israel of Kol Hakavoud - meaning with the greatest respect to you. So much that a highly creative advertising firm in Tel Aviv has now imitated the covert operation in Dubai and translated it into drawing worldwide attraction to a supermarket chain in Israel.

Photo: Ariel Schalit/Associated Press

The ads for the Mahsaney Kimat Hinam (Almost Free Warehouse) supermarket chain illustrates actors carrying tennis rackets and wearing baseball hats, glasses and wigs. Using the same disguises worn by the alleged killers in CCTV (closed circuit TV) surveillance images being released by the Dubai police as they stroll down store aisles.

Dubai police have released extensive but fuzzy off color surveillance camera footage which they say shows the team of 27 suspects from the assassination squad that they believe is to the Mossad, the Israel spy agency.

The advertisement even uses the slogans “Eliminate the prices" and “We offer killer prices”.

Tel Aviv, Israel advertising executive Sefi Shaked, said that the ad campaign was inspired by the footage released by Dubai police. He said that the company hoped to capitalize on the huge amount of media attention generated by the Dubai killing."

Israel has always been known for its highly creative and competitive domestic advertising and PR industries. Given the small size of the market, Israel domestic PR and advertising executives must demand only very best creative juice, even if that means pushing the envelope and using the sacred cow Mossad as sex appeal. Then again if the Mossad can allegedly use an attractive female agent who became famous in 1986 when, under the name "Cindy," seduced Mordechai Vanunu to go with her to Rome, where he was captured, drugged, and transported to Israel, then why can't Israel ad agencies follow in these highly inspired foot steps.

Recently, Israel launched an international ad campaign aimed at attracting tourists to the country using the racy slogan “Size Doesn’t Matter” to improve the country’s image. And while that ad gains attention in the US and Canada, another new ad campaign was launched by Israel Information and Diaspora Ministry.

Israel Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein says that the international PR campaign is succeeding, having stirred public discussion and has brought 150,000 Israelis to visit its Web site. The campaign not only features information about Israel supermodel Bar Refaeli but also highlights Israel successes in high tech and medical research. The campaign provides answers to challenging questions about Israel's policy's i.e.- the Palestinians, he added. The ad campaign's mission is to motivate Israelis traveling abroad to speak up on behalf of Israel. Labeled Masbirim Israel, or Explaining Israel, the PR campaign advises citizens on how to speak politely - with hard and documented facts.

“It's a funny take of this event,” Shaked said of the Dubai Hamas assassination. “We were fascinated by the technique of using surveillance cameras instead of high-production commercial cameras, and the latest events in Dubai gave us a great opportunity."

The Israeli Mossad supermarket ads are expected to air by the Passover holiday, which begins at the end of March.

One only wonders now if the Mossad will ask for the creative Intellectual Property rights and demand a commission.

The Israel News Agency, which is accredited by Israel Government Press Office, was the first on line news organization in Israel. The INA reaches up to 60 million readers through Google News and Internet social networking channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from New York, London, Moscow and Paris to Toronto, Los Angeles, China and India. Leyden is presently launching the United States News Agency using the INA as a successful working model.

The above news content was edited and SEO optimized in New York, London and Israel for the Internet by the Leyden Communications Internet Marketing PR SEO Group London SEO Pr New York SEO Pr Israel SEO Pr Israel, London, New York.